§50401 United States Committee on the Marine Transportation System

Summary

Creates a federal committee to coordinate work on the marine transportation system. It must check how well ports, waterways, channels, and their links to other transport modes are working. It must help connect the marine system with other kinds of transport and other uses of the marine environment. It must also coordinate federal policies that affect the marine transportation system and make recommendations to improve them. The committee includes many cabinet and agency heads, such as the Secretaries of Transportation, Defense, Homeland Security, Commerce, Treasury, State, Interior, Agriculture, Labor, and Energy; the Attorney General; the EPA Administrator; the Chair of the Federal Maritime Commission; the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; and any other agency head the committee votes to add. It has a Coordinating Board made of senior representatives chosen by each member. The board chair rotates yearly among Transportation, Defense, Homeland Security, and Commerce. The Secretary of Transportation, with the other three, must appoint an Executive Director. Agencies may give staff, services, or funds to support the committee. Not later than one year after enactment and every 5 years after that, the committee must report to key Senate and House committees about progress on the July 2008 National Strategy, system condition and performance, challenges and investment needs, improvement plans, past actions, and the federal programs involved. The committee may consult advisory groups, interested parties, and the public.